


Swift and the Little People

by Sephypsycologist



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Soft Vore, Vore, based on Gulliver's travels, safe vore, this is a universe all its own
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-24 11:01:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17099357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sephypsycologist/pseuds/Sephypsycologist
Summary: Sans and Red get into big trouble on a tiny island





	1. Voyages

There wasn’t much to do on a fishing trip but sleep and catch the occasional fish. Sans and Red were more than happy to join their brothers on this little ocean outing, and found themselves enjoying naps in the sun.

But Sans, being the scientist at heart that he is, couldn’t help bringing along one of his machines. It was a human-attuned magic detector, set using the soul frequency of a mage (recorded by Red’s father). Red had helped him build it (being a mechanical engineer had its perks) and they figured it’d come in handy if humans ever found their magic again.

So imagine their surprise when, as they’re basking in the sun, that machine goes active.

Both the skeletons snapped awake and began looking at the readings and arguing whether they were real or a misfire. This in turn irritated Red’s brother, Edge, till he screamed, “YOU NUMBSKULLS ARE SCARING THE FISH! TURN THAT BLASTED THING OFF THIS INSTANT OR I’M USING YOU BOTH AS SHARK BAIT!”

Red huffs and does as he’s told, but Sans notes the location in latitude and longitude so they can possibly return later, without their excitable and non-scientific brothers.

–

No fish were caught, though it wasn’t for lack of trying, and the skeletons were all in their beach home resting for the night afterward.

Sans teleported out and onto a smaller row boat that was beached near the house. Red is already there, and between the two they managed to drag the hull into the water.

“so you got everything we need, classic?” Red asked as he hopped into the boat and the two of them started rowing.

“got the coordinates and the machine, that should be all we’ll need.” Sans grunted as he pulled his oar through the water.

“okay, well, if we don’t find nothin’, we write it off as a misfire,” Red adds, “and then sleep.”

But before they even reached their destination, the machine began firing again, and they finally followed it toward a small, distant island. The island was in sight, but the wind picked up and the boat began to rock, “classic, we need ta turn back!” Red worriedly called over the sudden thunder.

“i can’t even get a reading on our location anymore!” Sans replied, and both of them tried to get to the island to at least be free of the storm. They had to keep teleporting around, boat and all, to avoid some rocks that began to push out of the water as it got more choppy.

They finally gave out, only able to use the oars, and end up capsized by a massive wave that pushed them and their boat into the rocks.

–

Seagull calls woke Sans.

“ugh….we still alive?” he moans softly, trying to move. “i can’t…why can’t i move?”

“dunno, genius, but i can’t either,” came Red’s irritated growl from close by. “can’t even turn my head, so i’m glad you’re there, classic.”

The two of them wriggle and strain, but nothing breaks the thick strings that are holding them to the sand.

After an hour or so of this, Sans feels something walking up his sternum and freezes. A shaking soldier comes into view, but he’s the size of one of their fingers, leaning into Sans’ line of sight, “Wh-who are you, WHAT are you and wh-where do you come from?”

Red growls, “we’re skeletons, we come from the mainland, and you don’t need to know who we are. just untie us!”

There were several fearful gasps around them, and Sans said very tensely, “red, now isn’t the time to be rude. it’s just a small misunderstanding, right? heheh, i’m sans, and this is my buddy, red. we kinda washed up on your beach after our boat crashed. could you maybe let us up so we can look for the machine that was in it and maybe find a way back home?”

“No!” The soldier yelps, backing away, “You’re both huge and clearly violent! No, you are staying there.”

He hops down, and the voices around them begin to murmur.

“We can’t let them go.”

“But how would we even begin to try killing them?”

“Too big, and they’re clearly already dead!”

“When the angry one dies, we can harvest his tooth for the treasury!”

This last comment sent Red into a rage, yelling and thrashing around, causing the tiny men to scream and scatter.

Sighing, Sans looks around, “red, that’s not helping anybody. the more you fight and act like that, the less likely they’ll let us loose. calm down.”

“but classic! they literally said they want to kill us and take my freaking tooth! and we’re stuck here until they grow a pair and let us go!” Red was furious, but he could see Sans’ point.

“i know, i know. but we’ll just have to try and think our way out of this since we literally can’t do anything else,” Sans responded, “unless you’ve got some magic back?”

“nah, used it all in the storm,” the tension went out of Red’s body and he went limp on the beach. “okay, we’ll think about this, but don’t blame me if we end up dusted.”

They both went quiet, but being magically drained and the lazybones they were, both soon fell asleep again.

–

Sans woke up slowly to something on his face. It was a smaller version of what he’d felt before, but this time he kept his sockets closed. The voices came to him as he grew more alert.

“Be careful, Frisk!”

“He’s so big! How does he ever find enough to eat?”

“I bet he eats people!”

“Guys, hush. He’s asleep and could wake up if we’re too loud.”

Sans relaxed. These voices were children’s, and apparently a little adventurer was on the bridge between his sockets now.

Another child climbed up next to the first, and they boasted, “These guys sleep like the dead!”

He couldn’t stop himself from laughing softly, and the kids froze. Opening his sockets very slowly, he looked at the little ones.

One child was small, maybe seven or eight, and had short brown hair and a purple and blue stripped shirt. The other was probably a year or two older, taller, and blonde with hair cut close to his head.

The three of them were frozen there, Sans with his sockets half open and a soft smile replacing his usual grin and the kids petrified with fright. It might have gone on forever if Red hadn’t woken up and spoke, “mornin’ classic.”

This shook the kids out of their stupor and had them rushing down, sliding off Sans’ cheekbone and down his clothes even as he called, “hey, wait!”

There was panicked scampering and then they were alone again.

“did i do something wrong?” Red asked softly, and Classic shook his head.

“nah. some kids had come to climb over us and it just spooked’em. you’re fine.”

They remained quiet after that though, hoping the children would return.


	2. Making Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids will come back. Right?  
> (count on Frisk to be the leader despite being younger)

The next day, they were still stuck. No food, no magic recovery, so what they had left was only enough to keep them alive.

And now the soldiers returned, but Sans tried to be friendly, “wow, are we on the short list for visits? this is the second day in a row; is there even a tiny chance we’re popular?”

The men didn’t respond, all tense as they clanked around and prodded at the skeletons with the butts of their spears. After the cursory examination, and Red having to grit his teeth to keep his tongue in check, the men leave quickly as if being chased.

“well, so much for today being a good day,” Red grumbled, sighing.

“aw, come on, we’ve barely started. maybe the kids’ll come back tonight,” Sans offered, smile weak.

“yeah and maybe i’ll turn into a fairy and we’ll fly away to neverland. psh…” Today was not the day to tempt Red’s temper.

–

Sans was right, though, and that night the children return.

They hear their voices coming closer, and both skeletons stay as still as possible while the children approach slowly.

“You’re super scary,” the blonde boy from the previous night murmurs, but he gets close to Sans’ foot to examine the bones. The other children, very cautiously, join in, looking at his hands and legs with curiosity.

“hey,” Sans asks softly, “what are you kids’ names?”

The little ones freeze again, but don’t run this time.

“i know we’re spooky, but there’s not a ghost of a chance we’d hurt you. can’t even move. still as the grave.” Sans is thinking a mile a minute trying to extend friendship to these children.

From beside him, Sans is surprised to hear Red’s voice in the softest, warmest tone he’s ever heard, “he’s right, kids. neither of us have a hurtful bone in our body when it comes to you guys. we’re just bored and bonely, y’know?”

There’s not a sound, and Sans can’t even feel them touching his bones anymore. “maybe they left?” he murmurs, frowning. “well, if you are still here, kids, i’m sans and the other guy is red. we’re skeletons by nature, not undead or anything.”

The silence is disheartening, and the both of them are about to give up when a little voice says, “My name is Frisk.”

More voices follow:

“I’m Peter”

“Lucy”

“Haruka”

“Riley”

“I’m Jessica!”

Finally the blond boy answered, “and I’m Brighton.”

The skeletons feel their souls ease. Names are the first steps toward trust.

Well, even so, they don’t get much other talking out of the kids. They just examine their hands and feet, giving one word answers to any questions asked, before leaving.

“well, at least we got their names,” Red commented once they were sure they were alone.

Sans looked up at the stars and smiled a little, “yeah, we did. they’ll come around soon enough. don’t worry about it.”

—–

The kids come back the next night, too, and get a little more brave, climbing up on Red and looking at his jacket and in his pockets. But one of them, Riley, decided something. Getting up his courage, he slipped under Red’s shirt and gently began exploring. The whole group of them was curious about why skeletons would wear clothes, and wanted to know what was under them, but Riley had an intellectual curiosity that pushed him on.

He gasped when he saw the soft red glow, and the sheet of soft crimson magic that had the same give as skin when he pressed into it. Everyone stopped in place, though, when Red said, “gettin’ a hands-on experience, kid?”

Frisk and Brighton were ready to leap into action, the others looking between the skeletons and the high grass that could hide them.

As if reading their minds, Red’s rough voice cooed, “kids, neither of us could move a muscle, even if we had’em. you’re safe here, so go ahead. explore all ya like, we don’t mind. just don’t hurt yourselves, okay?”

They all considered this…and then Riley asked, “How come you’ve got a belly?”

Red snorted a bit and said, “same as anybody else, cause i like food.”

“same here,” Sans added, proud that Red had managed to get them to open up.

Then came the onslaught.

“How come you can eat if you’re bones?”

“Do you even taste anything?”

“Why does your tummy glow, Mr. Sans?”

“Do you have to eat cows and pigs and stuff to not be hungry?”

“Can we play with your coat zipper, Mr. Red?”

“What kinda fight did you get in to get your cool tooth?”

“Why’re your bones warm?”

“Can you feel hot or cold?”

The boys did their best to answer as they could, and the kids listened eagerly to every word. These giants were amazing, and they actually were kind to them. Them! The group of street urchins that nobody wanted, that were kicked off doorsteps and out of alleyways almost every day.

What a change.

—

Over the next week, the kids grow bolder, telling Sans and Red about themselves, climbing all over them, and sometimes even falling asleep on them. The night was cold, and the skeletons were warm, especially when the little ones ducked inside their shirts onto the soft surface of their stomachs. It was the best sleep any of the kids had found in a long while, and Sans and Red didn’t mind at all.

Except that they were slowly starving, and it turned out that tiny humans smell delicious at close range. The kids would climb up on their faces to look them in the sockets when they were serious, and their scent was hard to ignore.

It all comes to light one day while Jessica is telling a story to Red, “And when the mean lady tried to grab me, I bit her hand! But-”

She was interrupted by a very loud growl from Red’s stomach, which startled the little ones, but what made them really nervous was when Sans’ echoed it at the same volume.

“s-sorry, kids. we haven’t had a thing to eat since we crashed here,” Sans blushed bright blue, embarrassed and worried.

“s’ true.” Red sighed, also ashamed to be in this vulnerable position, but then he realized the kids were scared, “but we wouldn’t hurt’cha. jess…look at me, jess,” he addressed the little girl who was now worriedly looking at his sharp teeth. She sniffled and looked into his eye lights, clearly frightened, “hey, don’t cry, cutie. you’re safe. we like ya way too much to ever hurt any of ya. monsters and their magic are all about intent, and we’ve got nothing but good things in our souls for you.”

Frisk, sort of the leader despite being only the third oldest, called the group to a meeting between the two skeletons.

“How do we feed them?” Peter murmured.

“WHAT do we feed them? They’re so big!” Haruka huffed.

“I wish I could cook for them,” sighed Lucy.

Sans’ voice cut into their meeting, “uh, kids? i just remembered there might be some monster candy in my pocket. got maybe two of them, but feed red first, since you’ll probably have a bit of a hard time with getting it over there.”

“ya don’t have ta feed me anything, classic. i’ve gone without a lot more than you have; i’ll be fine,” protested the other.

“i’m too tired to fight you, red. okay, fine.” Sans sighed as the kids began digging in his pocket.

They cheered and Sans smiled fondly, but was pleasantly surprised to find they HAD found two candies. It wasn’t much, but it’d be enough to hopefully stave off the complaining his stomach was doing.

The children worked together, climbing up him and hauling the comparatively massive candies with them. Frisk was the final link in the chain, and between them and Peter, unwrapped the candy and rolled it along his sternum. Sans opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out, but since the magic in him was so limited, he couldn’t get his tongue past his chin. The kids gasped, but Frisk pushed the candy forward and into his mouth without hesitation.

Sans swallowed it whole, not even bothering to taste it, but instead of much relief, it was enough to set off another rolling gurgle of starvation. The kids noticeably flinched, but Brighton called, “It’s just a candy, guys, it’s not going to do much alone. Let’s get the next one up there so maybe it’ll help more.”

They repeated the process, hoisting the candy up onto him and rolling it forward, but as Frisk shoved the round sweet into his mouth, they slipped on the smooth magic tongue and fell in with it. Sans instinctively snapped his mouth shut, but shifted his tongue to block his throat.

“classic? what was that? why’d the kid scream? i can’t see!” Red worriedly asked, and the other children were calling.

“Frisk?! Frisk, are you okay?!” Lucy ran forward, knocking on Sans’ teeth with their hand.

“I-I’m okay! He blocked me from falling.” Sans was relieved with Frisk’s voice, but it was taking all he had not to just go ahead and swallow them. They even tasted good, but he couldn’t break their trust like that. Even when a loud, painful growl was coming to remind him how empty he was.

So he pushed them up and out of his mouth, into Lucy’s arms, before swallowing the candy to clear his mouth. “ugh…sorry, kid.”

They didn’t respond except for all seven of them to start running again. Red calls, “kids, what happened? i can’t see! please come back! fuck classic, what did you do?!”

“it was an accident!” Sans quickly tried to defend himself, “kids, c’mon, you know i didn’t mean for that to happen. come back…at least let us explain.”

There’s rustling, and Peter calls, “Okay, we’ll listen, but we’re sitting with Red.”

Haruka adds, “You need to apologize to Frisk before we forgive you, Sans. It’s only fair.”

“i’m so sorry, frisk,” Sans said as the kids walked past behind his skull. “i’m glad you’re safe, but i really didn’t mean for you to fall in.”

They climb up on top of Red, clinging to each other when his belly roars at them. “sorry, kids. i know it’s scary, but it’s just me. even if you were in there, nothing’d happen.”

“What do you mean nothing’d happen?” Riley asked softly.

“magic doesn’t hurt unless the person it belongs to wants it to.” Red was happy to explain this part. “we told ya before that monsters are about intent. ours is good for you kiddos, and even if little frisky there’d ended up inside, classic’d never let ya get hurt.”

“But the acid!” Peter gasped, “Everybody has acid in their bellies to break down food. It’s why heartburn…well, burns.”

“not how we work,” Sans piped up. “monsters do everything by magic, even digestion. not gonna touch you, but it’d take down anything else you fed us, so long as it’s not alive.”

There are disbelieving murmurs, and the skeletons realize they won’t get anywhere this way. Red relents, “ya don’t have to believe us, but just know we care about you kids, and we wouldn’t hurt ya for anything.”

Wondering at this new information, the kids make their way back to town. While they’re more wary now, the seven of them hate seeing their giant friends hungry, so they’re going to go on a food gathering spree.

–

The night after, the kids came carrying some buckets full of apples, various nuts, bread, and other bits and bobs of food they’d managed to swipe from the market. They climbed up on the skeletons and showed their haul proudly, but then realized how very large their friends were compared to the food. Frisk, Brighton, and Riley dumped their buckets into Sans’ mouth, but it wasn’t even a morsel. “eh, thanks, kids. i appreciate how hard you tried.”

Red got the other four’s buckets, but it was still nothing much, “heh, tastes good, even as mixed and matched as it was. thanks.”

The group was sad, but they had no idea how to fix this. Well….Lucy spoke up, “Um, Mr. Red? Can we….could we really be safe if you ate us? Absolutely certainly?”

Red blushed softly, surprised at the question despite the drool now pooling in his mouth at the though, “yeah, kid. ya wouldn’t get hurt, or run out of air, or anything like that. 100% safe.”

Sans added, “but don’t feel like you have to. we’re grown ups; we can take being a little hungry for a while. it’s okay.” He didn’t want them to feel coerced.

However, both of them opened their mouths as the kids peered in, hesitant to go through.

Until Frisk ran up and jumped in on their own, surprising Sans and making him swallow instinctively. The others watched in amazement and slight fear as a soft blue glow slid down under his collarbone and out of sight.

The two on Sans’ chest scrambled down and lifted up his shirt, seeing Frisk through the transparent blue magic. Their friend was fine, and grinned up at them, waving. “see?” Sans smiles a little as the tiny child flops down and snuggles into the sensitive walls, “i told you they’d be fine.”

With evidence before them, the other six soon let go of their nerves and slipped down the skeleton’s throats willingly. They tasted so good, and soon, Red and Sans couldn’t help purring at the relief having some substantial weight in their achingly empty stomachs.

“you comfy in there, kids?” Red mumbled, the abatement of pain making him sleepy and content.

“We’re fine!” Lucy replied, and Jessica added, “You smell like strawberries!”

Red jerked awake and frowned, embarrassed, “well that’s just red magic for ya, now pipe down and go ta sleep. we’ll let’cha out in the morning.”

Sans chuckled, wishing he could put his hand over himself to comfort his new little occupants, “you kids just relax. it’ll all be fine, and we’ll try to find a better solution in the morning. and um…thanks for being the first volunteer, frisk.”

The child was already asleep, trusting Sans completely and not at all worried.


	3. Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A beast arises!

The affection of seven tiny pure souls and the sensation of mostly full stomachs kept the skeletons peacefully sleeping until the clatter of armor woke them abruptly.

Soldiers were gathered around and someone who sounded very much in charge called, “Giant monsters! You have proved your unclean magic can sustain you for abnormal time, and we are finished allowing you to starve peacefully! You are a menace to our kingdom and will be put to death by cannon fire and catapult this very day. You have three hours to make your peace with whatever force you like.”

Both skeletons felt their marrow freeze in their bones. They were dust, pure and simple. Once they were alone again, both of them pulled their magic into their bones fully, allowing the kids to drop harmlessly onto the sand by their spines.

“kids, ‘m sorry, but those guys are serious about dustin’ us, and we don’t want you guys hurt. wish we could’a had more time…” Red whispers to them urgently.

“But Sans!” Frisk gasps, but the skeleton shushes them softly.

“i know, kiddo. but we’re stuck, no magic and these binds are too tight to get out of. just go and remember us, okay? keep us alive in those bright little souls and you’ll be fine.” He was finding it hard to keep his voice steady. Sans had never expected to die like this, and even worse, Papyrus would never know what had happened to him. Unbidden tears tingled at the edge of his sockets. “just stay safe, you guys.”

The kids, despite Jessica and Peter beginning to cry (as the two youngest), rushed off into the grass.

–

Brighton and Frisk, quickly followed by Haruka and Lucy, began raiding the logging camp close to the skeleton’s beach. Snatching saws, axes, anything that might cut the binds on their massive friends before death came knocking.

The younger three had been left to watch, and all of them came out as they began sawing at the ropes holding Sans and Red down.

“kids, what are you doing?” Sans asked, feeling the slack coming up the ropes around his hand.

“Freeing you!” Jessica huffed as she used a very small ax to work on a rope, “Frisk and the others got things so we can help you get loose!”

Even so, they were only children, and it had taken some time to get to the logging camp and back, so they had only managed to loosen part of the ropes by the time the soldiers heavy footfalls began to sound.

“time to go, kids, quick!” Red hissed, but Frisk and Lucy drop their tandem saw and rush toward the army, throwing their arms out despite being no where near big enough to shield either skeleton.

The soldiers come forward and Sans hears the kids right next to his head. Frisk yells, “Don’t shoot!”

The soldiers laugh derisively and the ‘in charge’ voice speaks, “You don’t know what you’re talking about, urchin. Why shouldn’t we destroy these creatures?”

Lucy plants her feet and responds with conviction, “Sans and Red aren’t dangerous! They’re good guys, and they’ve been keeping us warm and safe at night! They wouldn’t hurt us!”

“The king ordered them dead, kid, just let us do our jobs,” some soldier replied, but Frisk and Lucy both climbed up on Sans’ chest to show them.

“See? We’re fine! They wouldn’t hurt anybody! Leave them alone, please!” Frisk pleaded.

“Get out of the way!” Soldiers began climbing Sans to get to the kids, while others started firing cannons and catapults at the skeletons’ heads. While it stung, the tiny projectiles bounced off harmlessly, and both of them realized that if anybody here was in danger, it was the children.

The first soldier grabbed hold of Frisk, wrenching their arm back until they screamed in pain, and that was the last straw. Rage boiling out of their souls, both skeletons strained at their bonds and the weakened ropes snapped, flinging themselves into the soldiers clustered around as Sans grabbed the soldier and freed Frisk.

“i wouldn’t hurt these kids if i were you, buddy, unless you want a bad time,” he murmured, his left socket glowing blue and yellow. The man shrieked, but Sans put him down on the ground as he and Red scooped up the kids.

“let’s go see this king of theirs and tell him how we feel, eh?” Red smirked, holding the kids close to him as they cheered for their freedom.

“sounds like a plan, red. which way, kids?” Sans asked, and Frisk pointed to their left. “okay then. to the castle or uh…whatever you guys have.”

–

Heading through the town, careful not to step on any small people, Sans and Red went down the main street with the kids riding in their hands. It was difficult for them, now that they were once again empty, not to just pick up the little humans and fill the void inside but there was a job to do.

The palace of the king was opulent and easily recognizable, and Red searched the building for the most cowardly soul. Finding it, he alterted Sans, and the slightly more recovered skeleton used his power to yank the man out a window.

Shaking in his finery, the king stammered, “Wh-what is the meaning of this?!”

“well, your majesty, it’s like this,” Red loomed over the man as Sans held him in place with magic. “ya tried to starve us ta death, and then kill us, and then your lackeys were hurtin’ our cute little pals here.”

The kids in Red’s hand waved to the king with big smiles, and the man turned pale. “P-please, have mercy!”

Sans seemed to consider it, and then said, “yeah. after all, we’re not like you, just persecuting innocent people out of fear and cowardice. so we’ll have mercy so long as you stop trying to attack us.”

“O-Of course!” The king stammered, still struggling, “B-but you can only stay if you defend us!”

“what, ya got some kinda war goin’ on or somethin’?” Red quirks a brow bone at the man. “we ain’t here to fight your battles, tiny.”

“No no, nothing like that! Tomorrow a beast will come out of the sea and attack our kingdom. It happens every year. Hundreds die and we have no way to stop it.” He seemed desperate, and Sans looked down at the kids.

“It’s true,” Lucy murmured.

“That’s why we’re all orphans. Our parents were killed by the weird sea beast,” Riley added.

Red looked over the little faces in his hands, seeing their sadness and the nods of agreement. “fine. we’ll stop this thing in its tracks, but only cause we don’t want anything happenin’ to these little ones. ain’t no favor to you, your kingship.”

The king nodded, and Sans put him back down on a balcony, “now, if you’d be so kind, we’d like some food. just anything you guys would eat is good for us.”

Terrified, the monarch disappeared into his palace. Sans and Red chuckled to each other, then went to sit on a couple of hills outside of town to wait for their feast.

–

While the food that night was enough to at least keep them from being hungry, it was more like a small meal than the feast the little ones gasped that it was.

The kids were sitting on the skeleton’s shoulders and on top of their heads, giggling and babbling about how much fun it had been to have so much food and it all disappear. Sans and Red smiled, happy that the kids were full, at least, and hoping they could gain enough magic to teleport back home soon.

–

Morning came, and the kids were sleeping soundly in the pockets of their skeletal protectors. Red and Sans were waiting at the edge of the kingdom, where the soldiers had guided them to the spot the creature would come from.

“so, what are you thinkin’, classic? a giant clam? maybe a stingray?” Red asked, looking out at the sea.

“probably not either of those. with how small they are, it might just be a normal creature,” Sans replied, rubbing his sockets idly.

Their question was answered when a bundle of coal black tendrils began sliding out of the water. It was a massive basket star, but clearly it was not normal. A single glaring green eye was staring out of the center round, and there were more arms on it than the boys could count.

“shit! it’s huge!” Red went into attack position, already having to bat away some of the longer tentacles with a summoned bone.

“let’s just deal with it and hurry.” Sans muttered, getting worried as more and more of the writhing mass slid onto the beach.

They didn’t want to really hurt this…thing, but it started invading their space, curling its branching limbs into their bones and eventually reaching into their pockets.

“red, it wants the kids!” Sans called as he smacked a tentacle out of his pockets. “we have to get them out of its reach or do something about this thing!”

“i’m workin’ on it! just eat the kids to keep’em safe if you’re so worried!” Red was angry and frustrated. He’d had to let his bone vanish since he was so low on magic, and now was fighting the squiggling mass by hand.

It was the best suggestion, so Sans took the kids from his own pockets and quickly swallowed them to keep them out of harm’s way. Red was trying to do the same, but ended up with a tentacle shoved down his throat.

Welp, not much else he could do but start swallowing, and it pulled the creature in close enough for him to start grabbing its plethora of arms and sticking them in his mouth as well.

Sans, a little grossed out and fascinated, watched while the black creature slowly vanished from view, and once it was done, Red sat down hard and panted. “that….was a bad….idea….but it’s over.”

“you, um…going to be okay with that?” Sans asked, kneeling and gently taking the shaking children out of Red’s pockets.

“What happened?”Peter murmured fearfully, peeking over Sans’ fingers.

“ya don’t have ta worry….anymore, pete. i got’im.” Red smirked, but groaned softly and lay back. “jus’….ugh…just lemme lay here a bit.” 

Sans explained as he began walking back to town, “no worries. red ate that nasty creature just for you guys.”

They all gasped, and murmured, and Brighton shouted from inside, “Heck yeah! That’s what you get for eating my parents, you stupid tentacle thing!”

“heh, well, i’m glad you approve, kiddo,” Sans gently set his free hand over where he felt them sitting. “but i’m not so sure red’s gonna have such a good time.”

–

The king was amazed they’d finished the creature off, but granted Sans the right to food and peace. He grinned and accepted, heading back to the beach to check on Red.

He’d shucked his jacket and shirt, and slid his pants down to ride on his pelvis in order to get some warmth from the sun. “oh geeze, classic. *hic* this thing will not stop squirmin’ and it’s just….” He covered his mouth for a moment, then whined softly, “ugh…third time it’s tried ta force its way back up.”

“i’d say you should let it go but….it’s got a lot of LV to it for a simple starfish.” Sans couldn’t help himself, he sat down next to Red and gently poked at the creature inside him. This caused a renewed thrashing, and Red growled, “don’t fuckin’ poke me! *hurp* ugh…oh stars…i’m gonna dust right here.”

Sans chuckled and shook his head, “nah, you’re just going to have a killer stomach ache for a while. don’t worry about the kids; they’re safe with me.”

A jealous glare just made Sans’ smile wider, “oh sure, classic. you get the *hic* the nice, friendly full feeling and i gotta, mnnnnnn, ugh, gotta deal with this ball of hate and wrigglin’ for who knows how long till it finally dies.”

“i never said you had to keep it forever, y’know,” Sans commented.

“well,” Red huffed a little and leaned up on his elbows, “we’re judges, classic, an’ this thing has a no right to keep kickin’ after all it’s done.” Flopping backward tiredly, he added, “ ‘sides, it made our kids orphans. ain’t letting something that hurt our kids get away with it.”

“good on you, red. here, lemme help,” Sans smiled, hand glowing slightly green as he laid it on top of Red’s belly. “this should dull the pain a little, anyway. i don’t have the reserves for long, but it’ll help for a while.”

“thanks, classic,” Red murmured, then the both of them fell silent. The kids were cuddled up together, and the two skeletons tried to relax to the sound of waves after the battle. They were all safe…at least for now.


	4. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to leave

Sans was treated to a ‘feast’ once a night, and while it wasn’t much, it was better than starving. He even got twice the amount that had been his the first night.

And well, he didn’t envy Red the trouble he was having. Even though the massive starfish creature had stopped struggling after the first night, the massive influx of raw meat had left his stomach gurgling and achey for the next three days.

The kids did their best to help out, using their warm little bodies as soothing heat and trying to rub the soreness out. It didn’t help much, but their efforts were much appreciated.

The fourth day after their ‘victory’, the kids were invited to a party held by the kingdom for all children as a sort of festival. This was the first time any of them had been able to go since becoming orphans, and it was quite an exciting.

But Frisk had a bad feeling, and decided to explore the castle after the main event had begun (a puppet show telling the story of an old hero). Unhappy with the nerves bubbling in their soul, Frisk quietly went around, looking for the source.

Around the third floor, Frisk found a half open door.

“What are we going to do? We can’t feed them for much longer or we’ll have no stockpile for our people.”

It was obvious they were talking about Sans and Red, so Frisk listened in.

“Of course we won’t do it much longer,” the king’s voice was irritated, “it just took us this long to get enough poison to be sure to do the job properly. We’ll fill three pumpkins with the stuff for each of them, and that’ll be that.”

Terrified, Frisk ran back to the party and sat holding onto Lucy the whole rest of the play.

—

Rushing back to the beach, the kids ran to Sans, who was watching the sea while Red napped.

“Sans!” Brighton gasped, “Frisk overheard a plan in the palace! They wanna kill you guys with poison!”

“whoa, what?” Sans jerked to his feet, startling Red awake.

“what’s happenin’?” he asked, looking at the kids, “what’re you little guys lookin’ so scared for?”

“The king lied to you,” Jessica sniffled, “He w-wants to…to make you eat bad pumpkins so you die!”

Sans leaned down and scooped them up, “we’d better leave then. now that red’s gotten settled, we’ve got enough magic to go home.”

“Take us with you!” Peter clung to his fingers.

“hey, what? you just got to go to the festival for the first time. why’d you wanna throw that away?” Red got up slowly, still wary of his body possibly betraying him.

Haruka sighed, “The king hates you guys, and we’re the only reason you stayed. Plus, he’s not dumb. If you’re gone before he can kill you, he’ll know it was us. We’d be branded traitors.”

Red and Sans looked at each other, then Sans nodded, “okay. we…kinda would hate to be without you guys after all this time anyway. just know me’n red might pass out when we get where we’re going, and our bros will be there. talk to mine, the one with the big smile. papyrus is harmless and will make edge see sense.”

“yeah, my bro’s not exactly good when he’s worried. and he’ll be worried after so long,” Red sighed, brushing sand off his pants. “but either way, just keep your eyes closed. c’mon, classic, lemme have a few of’em.”

Red let Riley, Lucy, and Haruka step over onto his hands, while Sans kept hold of the other four.

“count to three, kids, and we’ll be home.” Sans said, though he was nervous. “one…” the world around them shifted to black and white.

“two,” red murmured, holding the kids close to his sternum as the white disappeared into void.

“three.” it was a joint sigh as the power left their bodies, both skeletons falling backwards onto a new beach near their beach house.

—

Red woke first, groaning from the pounding in his skull due to overexertion.

On his bedside table was some soup and crackers, and a note.

“RED,

WE KNOW FROM THE CHILDREN WHAT YOU AND SANS WERE DOING. APPARENTLY YOUR MACHINE DETECTED THE MAGIC BARRIER SET UP AROUND THE ISLAND TO PROTECT IT.

BUT WE FORGIVE YOU TWO FOR WORRYING US SINCE IT WAS MOSTLY OUT OF YOUR CONTROL.

FEEL FREE TO EAT AND THEN COME OUTSIDE. WE’RE WAITING FOR YOU BOTH.

SINCERELY GLAD TO SEE YOU BOTH AGAIN,

THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

He sighed, but eagerly began to eat his soup. Finally, some decent food.

—

When Sans and Red exited the beach house, they found their brothers constructing a sand kingdom with the help of the children.

“SANS!” Papyrus called and waved, a huge smile on his face, “COME HERE SO I CAN HUG YOU WITHOUT DISTURBING THE CASTLE! YOU, TOO, RED!”

Both of them smiled fondly and came over, though Red got a soft cuff on the shoulder from his brother as they passed.

Papyrus hugged them both close, “YOU HAD US BOTH WORRIED SICK! LITERALLY! MY SOCKETS WERE LEAKING WATER FOR DAYS! BUT I SUPPOSE WITH ALL THAT HAPPENED, YOU HAVE BEEN DULY PUNISHED AND MADE UP FOR IT BY BRINGING US THESE ADORABLE NEW FRIENDS!”

Sans seemed to melt against his brother, “geeze, paps, i missed you. and yeah, we definitely don’t want to go through that again, but the kids were worth it.”

“ditto, also remind me to never eat sushi again,” Red grumbled, but squeezed the kinder skeleton a bit.

Edge chuckled with malice, but added, “WE DID AT LEAST GET THE CHANCE TO FULLY CLEAN, VACUUM AND SANITIZE YOUR ROOMS, THOUGH, SO THAT WAS A PLUS. JUST DON’T WORRY US LIKE THAT AGAIN!”

Heartily agreeing, the wanderers sat down and decided to help with the sand castles, earning cheers from the seven new members of their family.


End file.
